How Democracies Die
Harvard Prof. Steven Levitsky on two nightmare scenarios for the U.S.
Is our democracy in danger?
So begins How Democracies Die, the 2018 New York Times bestselling book by Harvard political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. The authors have studied the collapse of democracies in Latin America and Europe. As they look at the U.S. under Donald Trump, they see ominous warning signs. The book, despite being several years old, reads like an unsettling roadmap to current American politics.
I recently spoke with Steven Levitsky on The Vermont Conversation, the public affairs radio show that I host; you can listen to our discussion here. Steven Levitsky is Professor of Government at Harvard University. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
David Goodman: You begin How Democracies Die with a question: is our democracy in danger? What is your answer to that today?
Steven Levitsky: I think it is. The events in the two years since have only reinforced those fears. The Trump administration has been a little bit worse than we expected. Looking back at the book, we were slightly optimistic.
This does not mean that we are on the verge of fascism or even that we’re on the verge of autocracy. But I think our democratic institutions as they exist are being seriously…
